In this issue of Reading Local Scoop

 📆. Lot’s of Events This Week!

 🔥 Firefighters Tame Blaze at Former Lincoln Chemical Building in Reading, No Injuries Reported

⚽️ Wyomissing Girls Soccer Advances to Fourth Consecutive District Title Game After Edging Out Schuylkill Valley

 🏐 Berks Catholic Girls Volleyball Falls to Middletown in District Semifinal, Faces Do-or-Die for PIAA Playoff Spot

 🏐 Wilson Girls Volleyball Stages Dramatic Comeback to Clinch 3-2 Victory Over Dallastown in District Semifinal

👮🏼‍♂️ Arrest Warrants Issued for Two Berks County Men in Boscov’s Fraudulent Purchases Case

⚖️ Reading Man Sentenced to Life for Drug-Related Death and Gun Crime

 ⚽️ Fleetwood Boys Soccer Advances to District Championship with Convincing 4-0 Win Over Trinity

 This Week’s Events in Reading PA

Wednesday - November 1st

Free Berks County Networking powered By Rockstar Connect (November)Building 24 6–8 PM

The Thorn - 7 PM

A Night with Spirit - 7:00 PM EDT

Jim Breuer LIVE at Soul Joel's inside SunnyBrook - 7:00 PM

A.J. CROCE - CROCE PLAYS CROCE 50TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR
- 7:30 PM

Friday - November 3rd

Romeo Santos - Formula Vol. 3 Tour - 8 PM

Saturday - November 4th

2nd Annual ThanksGIVEmas Festival
@ Motta's Country Gardens and Landscaping - 11 AM - 4 PM

Fat Pineapple Beer Dinner - Oakbrook Brewing Company - 7 PM

Firefighters Tame Blaze at Former Lincoln Chemical Building in Reading, No Injuries Reported

Emergency teams responded to a fire at the old Lincoln Chemical building in Reading on Tuesday evening.

The incident was reported around 5:30 p.m. with smoke seen emanating from the upper levels of the structure located at 600 South Ninth Street.

Upon arrival, responders observed smoke and discovered a fire on the third floor, which had spread to the roof.

Although the building was known to house homeless individuals, and signs of recent habitation were evident, no one was found inside.

Firefighters quickly deployed hoses through the building and made openings in the roof to control the fire.

The situation was declared under control by 6 p.m.

As a result, Ninth Street at Cotton Street was temporarily closed.

Wyomissing Girls Soccer Advances to Fourth Consecutive District Title Game After Edging Out Schuylkill Valley

Wyomissing's girls soccer team secured their fourth consecutive district title opportunity by defeating Schuylkill Valley 3-2 in the District 3 Class 2A semifinal. The match, held at Berks Catholic’s Forino Sports Complex, saw Wyomissing's sophomore Dulce Lytle and senior captain Annie McCaffrey play pivotal roles. McCaffrey scored the opening goal, while Lytle contributed both a goal and an assist. Despite a strong challenge from Schuylkill Valley, with junior Addie Becht and freshman Bailey Pekuri scoring, Wyomissing held on for the win.

The victory sets up a final against top-seeded Trinity, who defeated Hamburg in the other semifinal. Wyomissing, the three-time defending district champions, will face Trinity, a team they defeated in last year’s final but lost to in the 2023 regular season. The final is scheduled for Saturday at Cumberland Valley’s Eagle View Middle School.

Wyomissing's success also ensures their participation in the PIAA playoffs, marking their fourth consecutive appearance after a hiatus from 2013-19. Meanwhile, Schuylkill Valley will play Hamburg for the third-place spot and a chance to advance to the state playoffs.

Berks Catholic Girls Volleyball Falls to Middletown in District Semifinal, Faces Do-or-Die for PIAA Playoff Spot

The Berks Catholic girls volleyball team faced a challenging defeat in the District 3 Class 3A semifinal against Middletown, losing 3-0 at Wolf Gymnasium. The fifth-seeded Blue Raiders secured the match with set scores of 25-23, 25-19, and 25-19, pushing the top-seeded Saints (19-4) into the third-place match. Berks Catholic now needs a win against second-seeded Greencastle-Antrim to secure a spot in the PIAA playoffs.

Middletown (19-2) gained an early lead in the first set and maintained their momentum throughout the match. Despite Berks Catholic's efforts to rally, they couldn't overcome Middletown's lead. Coach Lexi Leddy expressed that the team didn't start with enough intensity and struggled to maintain grit towards the end of the sets.

The Saints, who won the Berks II title, have faced setbacks in recent playoffs but still hold potential for success in the PIAA playoffs. Coach Leddy emphasized the need for resilience and motivation for the upcoming game, stating it's a critical "do or die" moment for the team.

Wilson Girls Volleyball Stages Dramatic Comeback to Clinch 3-2 Victory Over Dallastown in District Semifinal

Wilson's girls volleyball team staged a remarkable comeback in the District 3 Class 4A semifinal against Dallastown, turning a potential sweep into a 3-2 victory. Despite being one point away from defeat in both the third and fifth sets, the fourth-seeded Bulldogs triumphed with set scores of 23-25, 21-25, 26-24, 25-11, and 15-13.

Coach Denny Werner described the win as a "gritty, ugly" effort, where the team did just enough to succeed. The victory propels Wilson (21-2), the Berks champion, into the final against undefeated top-seeded Hempfield (17-0), a team with a strong track record of winning the Class 4A title.

Dallastown (21-2) initially led the match, but Wilson's resilience shone through, especially in the third set where they overturned a match point. The Bulldogs then dominated the fourth set and overcame a deficit in the decisive fifth set.

Key players for Wilson included Nia Kendall, Cameryn Niedrowski, Kassidy Means, and Airyanna Kline, who all made significant contributions. Coach Werner praised Dallastown for their effort but noted that Wilson was "just a little bit better" in the end.

Arrest Warrants Issued for Two Berks County Men in Boscov’s
Fraudulent Purchases Case

Pennsylvania State Police at Schuylkill Haven have issued arrest warrants for Jean C. Ramirez Diaz, 29, and Carlos D. Rosario, 34, both from Reading, Berks County. The men are charged with conducting fraudulent purchases at four Boscov’s stores in the region, facing 55 felony counts each, including forgery, identity theft, and access device fraud, as well as 10 misdemeanor counts.

The charges, filed on October 24 by Trooper Thomas J. Luscan, are part of a joint investigation with the U.S. Secret Service into a large-scale identity theft operation. The duo allegedly used false identities to make purchases totaling $7,577 across Boscov’s stores in Wyomissing, Pottsville, Lebanon, and Hazleton between June 6 and June 9.

Ramirez and Rosario were identified as suspects through video surveillance and vehicle records. They reportedly submitted numerous fraudulent online applications for Boscov’s charge cards, changing the mailing addresses to receive the cards and make unauthorized purchases.

The investigation revealed that over 30 individuals nationwide were affected by similar fraudulent activities. For the 16 transactions in question, the suspects used the names of five victims. An arrest warrant for both defendants has been approved by District Judge David A. Plachko.

Reading Man Sentenced to Life for Drug-Related Death and Gun Crime

Miguel Eduardo Rosario, 37, from Reading, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced to life imprisonment for distributing drugs resulting in death and serious bodily injury. Additionally, he received a consecutive five-year sentence for firearm possession related to drug trafficking.

Despite being on parole, Rosario continued to deal in various drugs, leading to an individual's overdose and death. The case is part of broader initiatives to combat the opioid epidemic and reduce violent crime.

Fleetwood Boys Soccer Advances to District Championship with Convincing 4-0 Win Over Trinity

Fleetwood's boys soccer team advanced to the District 3 Class 2A championship after a dominant 4-0 win over Trinity in the semifinals. The top-seeded Tigers, who previously won the Berks championship, are now aiming for their second consecutive district title and 15th overall. They will face second-seeded Camp Hill, who defeated Oley Valley in their semifinal match.

Fleetwood showcased impressive control and offense, with senior William Maurek scoring the first goal, followed by three more goals in the second half from junior Justin Hartline, senior Joseph Avila, and sophomore Ryan Adamo. The team's cohesive play and strong bond, developed over years of playing together, were evident in their performance.

Last season, Fleetwood won the district final but fell in the PIAA quarterfinals. With another opportunity to add to their achievements, the team remains focused and motivated for the upcoming championship match.